Come Out

Lesbian Group Kontra as a member of the international network ILGA, implemented the Come Out Campaign for elections to the European Parliament in 2014.

In the period from 22-25th May 2014 citizens of the EU decided on their representatives in the European Parliament.

The Come Out campaign aimed to mobilize support for the protection of human rights of LGBT people, by individuals across Europe.

Public panel “Elections to the European Parliament – Attitudes of Candidates on LGBT Rights” was held on April 23rd at the LGBT center, Petrinjska 27. The round table was attended by representatives of the lists of candidates for the European Parliament – Jozo Radoš (SDP, HNS, IDS, HSU), Mirela Holy (ORAH), Damir Hršak (HL-SR) and Nazif Memedi (Power Croatian Roma). Of the three lists of candidates that currently have seats in the European Parliament, two responded to the call, while the list of HDZ-HSS-HSP AS-BUZ-ZDS-HDS, whose representatives in the European Parliament voted against the report on LGBT human rights representative Ulrike Lunacek, has not responded to the invitation. All representatives of the lists of candidates who participated at the roundtable stated that their lists strive to protect the rights of LGBT people through the European Parliament, as described in the “Come Out” pledge. Public panel was well covered in media and all candidates were invited to sign the Pledge.

Come Out pledge:

I pledge to stand up for human rights and equality in Europe as a member of the European Parliament, including the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and intersex people (LGBTI).
I pledge to advance LGBTI equality by supporting the following actions:

Adopt an EU Roadmap on LGBTI equality
Equip the EU with a comprehensive action plan to champion equality and to ensure it uses its full powers in an effective and coherent way, as it does to combat other forms of discrimination

Enforce human rights within the EU
Ensure the adoption of an internal human rights strategy and the creation of a watchdog mechanism to enable the EU to respond to human rights violations within its own borders and to hold Member States accountable to their human rights commitments

Complete the EU anti-discrimination law
Actively work towards the adoption of a comprehensive anti-discrimination legislation and the effective implementation of existing standards, including through continued EU financial programmes to enable effective action to make equality a reality in the EU

Combat homophobic and transphobic violence
Actively work towards the extension of EU legislation to combat all forms of bias-motivated violence and to mobilise all EU agencies to protect victims of violence and to train law-enforcement professionals

Promote an inclusive definition of family in EU policies
Ensure that EU legislation and policies are inclusive of LGBTI families within the scope of EU competences (such as freedom of movement and mutual recognition) and to promote respect and recognition of the rights of LGBTI families

Take a lead in protecting trans rights
Be a leader in calling for an end to requirements to legal gender recognition for trans people that clearly violate human rights, and to actively support the EU in continuing to lead on the depathologisation of trans identities

Take action against school bullying
Mobilise EU institutions and Member States to effectively address school bullying, including homophobic and transphobic bullying, through existing EU policies and programmes

Tackle discrimination and inequalities in health
Mobilise EU institutions and Member States to effectively address barriers to the effective enjoyment of the right to health for LGBTI people through existing EU policies and programmes

Ensure effective protection for LGBTI asylum-seekers
Ensure that Member States correctly and fairly examine LGBTI people’s asylum claims and to support EU agencies and national authorities in fully implementing EU asylum legislation

Make the EU the world champion of equality for LGBTI people
Ensure that the human rights of LGBTI people outside of the EU remain a key priority in the EU’s external policy, including in its enlargement and neighbourhood policies, in its positions at international organisations, and within its programmatic support to human rights defenders.

Also as a part of the Come Out campaign, Kontra organised the panel “Do we need an LGBT MEP?” Two LGBT candidates presented at the panel: Damir Hršak (HL-SR) and Sanja Galeković (ORAH) at the LGBT center. All the candidates were invited to sign the “Come Out” pledge.

Counseling

For lesbian and bisexual women
Phone counseling:
working days: 10:00 – 14:00h 098/238 308
E-mail counseling:
every working day kontra@kontra.hr